Common Sense Media Review
By Jeffrey M. Anderson
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Outer-space rescue adventure has lots of action violence.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 14+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
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Lockout
What's the Story?
Agent Snow (Guy Pearce) is caught while trying to transport a mysterious briefcase and is arrested for murder and espionage. He faces a long prison sentence but is given a second chance when the president's daughter, Emilie (Maggie Grace), finds herself trapped on a space station filled with dangerous escaped prisoners. If Snow can rescue her, he can buy his freedom. Fortunately, the secret of the lost briefcase is also on the station, and Snow hopes to find it while he's there and clear his name. But Snow discovers that Emilie isn't so easy to rescue; she refuses to leave without taking the rest of the hostages with her.
Is It Any Good?
Co-written and produced by Luc Besson, LOCKOUT has its benefits, most notably a fun lead character and a fun performance by Pearce (Snow could be the subject of sequels). It also has a great setting that has been underused by the rookie directors James Mather and Stephen St. Leger. Their camerawork is jerky and hurried, and they tend to ignore some of the aspects of outer space that could have been useful or interesting. Oddly, that makes Lockout the first disappointing movie that concentrates too much on character and not enough on action.
Besson is very good at grinding out relatively cheap, high-concept "B" movies filled with action. There's no question that he has a flair for breezy stories and simple, appealing characters. He has apparently worked on some 50 movies in the past decade, some of them quite delightful. But quantity does not always lead to quality.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about Lockout's violence. Does it create tension and thrills, or is it disturbing? What's shown and not shown? Which has more impact?
Is the president's daughter a role model, or is she a victim or a stereotype? What's the impact of the violence against women in this movie?
Does the main character look cool when he smokes? Why do you think he chooses to do it?
Is rescuing the president's daughter alone more important than rescuing as many hostages as possible?
Movie Details
- In theaters : April 13, 2012
- On DVD or streaming : July 17, 2012
- Cast : Guy Pearce , Maggie Grace , Peter Stormare
- Directors : James Mather , Stephen St. Leger
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : FilmDistrict
- Genre : Action/Adventure
- Run time : 95 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : intense sequences of violence and action, and language including some sexual references
- Last updated : August 1, 2022
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